I’m a new member so forgive me if this subject has been explored in the past. I’m just completing a new walnut gunstock and wondering if anybody has a good suggestion for finishing. I’ve looked at the net under gunstock finishing and all the “gun nuts” seem to think you need something exotic like maybe I’m going to use it in some wartime muddy trench and if it isn’t space age, don’t bother. I’m just lookng for something durable that looks reasonably nice. I don’t have a spray booth, so lacquer is not really an option. Ideas?
Leehold
Replies
Lee,
I would go with an oil finish with a whole bunch of coats (LIke 30 or 40). I have a custom made rifle of exhibition grade walnut that I have had for 20 years. It has this same finish on it(40 coats). The beauty of oil on a stock is repairability, just wipe on somemore oil. With a lot of thin coats you can build up a really nice gloss as well or you can lessen the number of coats if less gloss is desired. Also since you don't have spray facilities the oil is an advantage in that all you need are rags to put it on. Make sure you lay the rags out flat or emerse them in water after you are done with each coat or they may spontaneously combust which can cause a disaster.
Good luck
Mark
Mark: Thanks. Lee. The consensus of the replies seem to be oil which I was leaning towards. Lots of thin coats but aybe not 40! Lee
Lee,
Your welcome and I hope it comes out great.
mark
The best in my opinion is Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil. Really brings out the grain, is resistant to scratches and is easy to apply. Takes a lot of coats though.
Grieke: Thanks for the tip. I was leaning towards oil anyway. Lee
Wow, the words "gun nut" in this forum twice in the same week. I must be in Heaven. Well, you're in luck (this statement subject to interpretation). I've made and finished gunstocks. Kind of a hobby. Generic statements first: you can use anything you want. Now the rest of the story. What you use does have to withstand some things that most finishes don't encounter. The shock force of the bullet leaving the gun imparts (here's Newton for you) force to you in the form of recoil, which is absorbed by the stock, specifically in two areas: the recoil lug and the tang section behind the bolt. Lacquers look nice but having tried them on cheaper stocks, I'm not convinced on the durability. Whatever you use needs some flexibility, which makes the oils look appealing. The downside to oils has always been that they're really lousy with weather, which also isn't good for the expensive walnut when it gets rained on. But the Tru Oil is a blend of polymerized oils, primarily Tung, which due to the polymerization process have gained in their ability to build film thickness and repel water to some extent. Also flexible. Its not a fast process. Your first several coats typically are wet sanded in. By that I mean, one section at a time, you and 400 grit wet or dry paper massage the stock with a liberal amount of oil until you have built up a slurry of oil and sawdust which becomes the consistancy of wet cardboard. I use a piece of cardboard like a putty knife to push the slurry around and pack it into the pores. Walk away and let it dry. When you've done this to the whole stock enough that all the pores are filled, dry sand it to get rid of any residue (you're trying to avoid ridges when you pack it in) and when the whole thing is baby smooth, start oiling. You can do a coat a day. A good way to let it dry is hang it from a wire. You can loop one through one of the screw holes and just bend enough of the end that it snags in the magazine well without touching the outside of the stock. The length of the wire rides up the barrel channel to whatever you're hanging it from. Super thin coats each time. I prefer applying with a finger or 2. You'll want the butt pad on before you do the oiling, and mask it so you dont get oil on the rubber. But you want it on so oil fills the little gap between the wood and the pad - kind of like wet mudding to a piece of trim. If for some reason you get a streak or a drop or whatever, you can dry sand it off level before the next coat. A less traditional, albeit just as effective method of pore filling is to use an oil based pore filler.
Rworiganls. Thanks for the detailed description. I was leaning towards oil and you have convinced me. Lee
Geez, I feel like I just won a competition! Yer welcome. have fun, and post a pic in March when you're finished ;-)
Lee. my Weatherby Laser Mark .340 has a claro walnut stock which I have to believe is finished in laquer. If a spray booth is all that is holding you back then you might...(must have patience) think about learing how to brush, hand rub and polish a laquer finish. The end result is nothing less than magnificent.
No one: Thanks for your input. I like lacquer but I have put in to much elbow grease shaping and sanding the stock to do any experimenting on it. Think I will go with oil Lee
Lee
I posted a finish I was taught to use by an old German gunsmith back in the late forties a few weeks ago. He used only walnut for his gunstocks. He taught me to apply boiled linseed oil daily until the wood wouldn't absorb anymore. Mix boiled linseed oil and orange shellac 50/50, apply with a cloth, let dry, buff down with 400 steel wool between coats. Use as many coats as necessary to fill the grain. After filling the grain buff lightly and apply a coat of good floor wax.
This finish is easy to repair, if you scratch it , buff down the scratch with steel wool and put some finish only on that part. No need to strip the whole thing down.
Good Luck and God Bless
les
Les:I've seen a lot of gunstocks and walnut seems to be the Cadilack of woods. As an aside, WWI devastated the walnut lumber supply of this country due to the unprecidented demand for walnut for gunstocks for rifles. I have a nice pioce of burl for the stock and I hope the oil most recomend does it justice. Lee
Lee
About 10 years ago I had an elderly friend who had inherited some parcels of land in East Texas. One of the parcels of land ( I don't know the acreage) had over 2000 walnut trees. This was a virgin stand. He asked me to help him find a buyer for all of it. I talked to Weyheuser in Oregon or Colorado, Missouri, and Arkansas they weren't interested. The only offer we had was a logger in East Texas was $400.00 M, if I put it on the ground ready to haul out of the woods. My friend passed since then I suppose it is still standing.
I think about that everytime I see the price of walnut.
Good Luck and God Bless
les
I've a shotgun that needed refinishing and rebluing. Who'd a thunk that saltwater was no good for a gun? Anyway, I did the stock myself and here's how it went....
The stock was walnut. The old finish was some sort of catalyzed lacquer, very tough to get off. It would soften with stripper but had to be scraped to be removed. Steamed out dents and dings then sanded up throught 400. I did not use stain. Applied two coats of thinned linseed oil, followed by three coats of Formsby Low Gloss Tung Oil, which I guess actually has a varnish component. All coats rubbed in with 4 aught steel wool, allowed to set-up, then wiped off.
Came out great...weather proof, durable, the luster is just right, and minor scrathes can be rubbed out with a little oil. I did another stock mostly the same way but used a Herters stain with filler. The filler provided some color contrast and the grain shows very well. I was happy with both. Good luck with your project!
Edited 12/1/2002 7:25:58 AM ET by LUNATHREE
Lunathree: Thanks for the story of your experience. Oil seems to be the way to go. Lee
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